It's time to end male domination in Bollywood: Tannishtha

Actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, who garnered international plaudits with films like Brick Lane and Shadows of Time, says she is ready to sink her teeth into Bollywood and wants more woman directors to call the shots in B-town.
"Getting accepted on the international film fe

Actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, who garnered international plaudits with films like Brick Lane and Shadows of Time, says she is ready to sink her teeth into Bollywood and wants more woman directors to call the shots in B-town.

"Getting accepted on the international film festival circuit is fantastic. I am loved and celebrated there (in the West). But I would definitely want to work more in India with directors and independent filmmakers back home, especially with women. I think it is time to change the male domination in Bollywood," Tannishtha, who recently performed a musical show at the Royal Opera House in London, told PTI.

"Women are treated in a particular manner in Indian film industry. Today the fairer sex is empowered, armed with more purchasing power but she still faces an old bias when it comes to stories, direction. We need more scripts that relate and appeal to women...that give them an opportunity to do meaty and author-backed roles," she said.

The Bengali actress is also performing in a play based on 7 monologues in Delhi this month with veteran Shabana Azmi.

"The play is called Seven. Vital Voices, a leading international NGO which aims to bring visibility to extraordinary women around the world and promote their leadership potential, has commissioned it. All the seven stories are very powerful and about real life women who have been fighting for their space. I was thrilled when Shabana called me for a role," said the actress.

"I am essaying the role of Hafsat Abiola, daughter of late Nigeria President-elect Moshood Abiola. She is a human rights and democracy activist. It is about her pain, trials and tribulations after her father was jailed for treason and later died in detention. Her mother Kudirat was also killed," said the actress, best remembered for her role of Nazneen in Sarah Gavron's Brick Lane in 2007.

About her experience working with Shabana, she said, "Plays have much more intimate space, which makes it very challenging. Shabana and I had a blast together. I have grown up watching her. She is one of my favourite actresses and we believe in the same kind of cinema."

About being bracketed as an 'arty' actress, Tannishtha says that every actor faces 'typecast problems' in his or her career.

"I am an actress..I have to fight against repetitiveness.

I have been saying no to loads of such stuff but if the project turns out to interesting in some way, I am on board.

It is fabulous to know that audience is still reacting favourably to your performances," said the dusky beauty, whose favourite films were featured in the '50 Movies to see Before You Die' segment.

On UTV's initiative, Tannishtha who got four of her favourite films showcased in the segment, said that the channel was bringing the best of world cinema to the Indian audience.

"All movies-- The Band Visit, Janis & John, No Man's Land and Iberia -- picked by me were very engaging coupled with a sense of humour. All of them have something extraordinary to say. They are also very culturally stimulating. Besides some of them are big BO successes despite being festival films," said the actress.

About her projects in Bollywood, she said, "I have just completed a film Dekh Circus with Mangesh Hadawale. Its in post production stages. I have another untitled project, which I cannot talk about right now."

On her film Bhopal--A prayer for rain, based on the gas tragedy, the actress, who plays wife of lead actor Rajpal Yadav, (playing a factory worker), said the story appealed to her as it delved into individual suffering and the emotional journey of a family and did not focus on the numbers (casualties) in the disaster. "Its more human."

The movie stars Hollywood actor Martin Sheen as Warren Anderson and is directed by British national Ravi Kumar.

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